Gaga over Ikemen

When I first came to Tokyo many years ago, my brand of handsome was blond, blue-eyed, and Hollywood-hunky. After all, those were the types of guys I grew up watching on TV and in the movies. My exposure to the Asian ikemen movement was nil. Sure, I loved animes like Ranma ½, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball, but I hadn’t seen any dramas.

But I guess when you find yourself immersed in a particular culture, you learn to appreciate their own set of aesthetics. So it's not surprising that I am now a certified ikemen-convert (Though I still love Piolo and Channing!).

I made a list of ikemen a couple of years ago, but there are so many new faces that I couldn't help but make a new one. Here are my top ten picks:

1.     Oguri Shun – I love this guy so much I practically stalked him online when I was preggers with Kid1. Having watched almost every single movie and drama that starred him, I can truly say that he is more than just a pretty face. Aside from being a skilled actor both on film and on stage, he’s also dabbled in directing. He’s my peg for Ken Nakamura in Be Careful What You Wish For :-)

2.     Osamu Mukai – There is something wholesomely hot about Osamu Mukai. Hihihi. I just used him as an LI peg for Ryohei Mori in my #SparkNA novella, Not Part Of The Plan.

3.     Yamada Takayuki – Rawr. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of Yamada Takayuki. First noticed him on Crows Zero, so I was floored when my hubby told me that he was the lead guy in the Densha Otoko movie. Hihihi. He even makes a cameo in the first episode of the Densha Otoko TV series.

4.     Kengo Kora – This guy is just beautiful *sigh*

5.     Mizushima Hiro – This former kamen-rider is married to Ayaka, one of my fave Japanese singers. These days, he’s not as active in front of the camera as I’d want him to be. In the past few years this Waseda-grad has been more involved in management and movie production. Oh! And he’s also a bestselling author!

6.     Hayami Mokomichi – Moko-chan is so pretty :-) Saw him first in Gokusen 2, but he captured my heart in Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend). I've heard he's part Filipino, but not sure about it.

7.     Kaneshiro Takeshi – Sigh. Still my first love. Hihihi. He was my peg for the character Daniel Sato in my novel Be Careful What You Wish For.

8.     Yamashita Tomohisa (Yamapi) – Adorable as a kid, beautiful as a young man. Lordy, my age is showing. Hahaha!

9.     Ikuta Toma – Loved him as Nakatsu in Hana Kimi! He’s so hilarious, that even though I'm almost word-perfect, I still giggle every time I watch it. Among others, he did a cameo on the second season of Hana Yori Dango.

10.  Satou Takeru – Gosh, I've been in Japan long enough to watch Sato Takeru transform from a cute kid into the hunky actor he is nowadays. He recently starred as Rurouni Kenshin in the movie adaptation of Samurai X.

I super enjoyed writing this post! I think my kids were wondering if I had gone crazy or something because I kept giggling in kilig every few minutes.

What about you guys, who turns you on? :-)